Giving Opportunity To The Devil

Paul warned Christians not to “give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). “Place” in this verse comes from the Greek word “typos”, meaning any portion of space marked off from the surrounding territory. It is used in the sense of opportunity, power, or occasion for acting out.

When Christians do something sinful, we know this is not inspired of God. What happens is that people act in an inappropriate way through temptation, stress, anger, or some weakness. Their intentions may have been good, but they failed temporarily; they have given place to the devil. We are warned against doing this, but reality tells us that it does happen.

What should Christians do if they have given opportunity to the devil? They are to repent to whatever extent they have failed.

• If they have wronged another person, they should seek their forgiveness.
• If only God knows the failure, they should go to Him only (1 John 2:1-2).
• Then they should ask God to strengthen them in their area of weakness so the event will not recur.
• They may want to consult someone in spiritual leadership for instruction, encouragement, and prayer to overcome temptation in the future.
• Regardless of how often we fail, we must never quit.